Changing Seasons
by tigerlily-parade
Summary: Feliks and Toris are a happily engaged couple. As the seasons change, however, so does their relationship. Can they work out their difficulties or will they end up falling apart? Human!AU
1. Flourishing in August

It began in the spring, with nothing more than a simple introduction.

"Hello, I'm Toris," the young Lithuanian said, outstretching his hand towards the shy Polish boy, who appeared to be about his age.

"I'm Feliks," the Pol replied. He never did like strangers, but wasn't about to let that show. He reached out and shook his hand.

Neither one imagined that day that they would fall in love. But, though their first meeting was a bit uncomfortable, they quickly warmed up to each other, and it wasn't long before they were in a steady relationship. They moved in together, and by summer of the following year the two had intentions to marry. Though some insisted it was too early, and that they were too young, they believed otherwise. In any case, they felt in no rush; they would wait until the next spring to have the wedding. In the meantime, they made each other happy. That was all that mattered.

One sunny afternoon, the newly engaged couple sat aside a lake, at a private little spot they had discovered when they had just begun seeing each other. The trees around them were lush and green, and just full enough to shield them from the eyes of people on the main beach. Only a few clouds dotted the otherwise clear sky. A light, warm breeze picked up and created tiny ripples on the dark blue water's surface. Both individuals inhaled deeply, hoping to take in as much as they could of what they considered a perfect summer day.

Beneath them, an old white sheet served as a picnic blanket, and between them sat a picnic basket. The two had just finished their lunches and were now letting their minds wander. Toris reached out to the side and ran his fingers through the grass as he did this; he had always loved the feeling of summer grass. His thoughts were only broken when a dragonfly whizzed past his face, causing him to snap his head in its direction.

The insect flew off before he truly had time to realize what it was, but did manage to draw his attention in Feliks's direction. Had it not, he would not have noticed the Pol eyeing the rope swing dangling from the nearby oak.

"It's too bad we didn't bring changes of clothing," he said. He tried to be cautious of his word choice because on one hand, it looked like a lot of fun, but on the other, he had to question its safety.

"I wouldn't mind being wet for a little while," Feliks replied. "It's warm out so I'll dry fast, and I'll take off some of my clothes so not everything gets like, completely soaked. I just have to try it once." He removed his shirt and socks and tossed them aside, and then slid his engagement ring (to which Toris wore a match) off his finger and placed it in the picnic basket for safe keeping.

He had to step a few inches into the water to reach the rope, then backed up onto the shore as far as said rope would allow. If he was going to only do it once, it had to be good.

"Please, do be careful," Toris said.

"Don't worry, this rope is totally sturdy."

Feliks jumped into the air and grasped the rope with all his strength, holding it with his elbows and knees for extra support. It swung over the water like a pendulum, until it slowed to a stop when it reached its limit. At this point, the Pol should have let go and jumped into the water, but he failed to do so and began to swing back towards the shore.

"Jump!" Toris cried, though he knew it was already too late. What happened next, however, he could never have predicted.

Feliks planned to land back on the grass and try again, paying closer attention to the rope's momentum so he would know when to let go. Unfortunately, he put his foot down too early and stepped on an uneven slope right at the water's edge, causing him to be off-balance. In a panic, he grabbed on to an unsuspecting Toris for support. This caused them both to stumble into the water, only to hit a drop-off and go tumbling in. The two landed with a dramatic splash, and then for a brief moment the water fell silent.

Toris came up for air first, followed soon after by his partner.

"FELIKS!" He screamed, unable to express the plethora of different emotions he felt. He was honestly not sure whether to laugh or be angry. On one hand, he was now soaking wet when he had not intended to be and lacked anything to change into; on the other hand, the whole situation was so ridiculous he couldn't help but be amused. Nevertheless, he picked himself up and helped Feliks out of the water.

"That…wasn't exactly what I wanted to happen," Feliks said.

"That's okay," Toris replied, putting an arm around him. "It will make for a good story to tell our friends, anyway."

"Thanks for being so cool about it. I didn't mean to like, drag you down with me, but I wasn't really thinking."

"Hey, where would we be if we couldn't forgive each other for stuff like this? It's just what couples do."

Feliks grinned in agreement.

"Yeah."


	2. Wilting in November

Despite only being the late afternoon, the sun had already disappeared behind the horizon. It was that time of year again, when darkness fell sooner and sooner every day. The leaves had all fallen off the trees and were left scattered along the ground, some tumbling along in the occasional gust of autumn breeze. When a chill wind picked up, Toris shivered and wrapped his sweatshirt a little tighter around himself. He expected to see snow any day now.

Normally, he felt glad to have a job that was within walking distance of his apartment, but now he wished that he lived just far away enough to need a car. Then he would be using one right now, and would surely have the heat on full blast. That sounded so much better than having a hood that barely protected his ears from the cold.

He wouldn't deny, however, that he was thankful to not be making car payments or paying for gas. They couldn't afford that—not with Feliks out of work. He tried not to blame the Pol since it wasn't his fault—the company he had been working for had started failing—but he desperately hoped he would find something new soon.

He fumbled around in his pockets for several moments trying to dig out his keys. The task was much harder with fingers stiff from the cold. Thankfully he managed to pull them out just as he approached his door, and was able to unlock it with relative ease.

He was met with warm air upon entering the apartment, a nice contrast from the harsh temperatures of the outdoors. He shut the door as quickly as possible behind him. The place was quiet, with no immediate signs of Feliks, which worried him a bit. But he knew he worried too much, and he checked their bedroom to see if his fiancé was there. He found this to in fact be true, as the Pol was curled up beneath the blankets, taking a nap. Toris smiled; that looked like a nice place to be. He just hoped that he would wake up soon so they could chat. It had been a while since the last time they actually sat down and had a nice conversation.

His first priority was to take a shower, and a hot one at that. He wasted no time getting to the bathroom, and turning the water up as high as he could stand it. He stepped in and just let it run over him, warming every inch of his icy skin, and intended to stay there as long as he possibly could. He just hoped Feliks wasn't planning to use the shower any time soon. All of the hot water would surely be gone by the time he was completely warmed up.

Feliks…

Somehow his mind kept returning to Feliks. He couldn't help but feel that something between them wasn't right anymore, but he couldn't quite place his finger on what it was. His next priority was to figure out what that was so he could stop if from going any further.

After thoroughly draining the hot water, he dried himself off, threw on some comfortable clothing, and made his way to the bedroom. Feliks appeared to still be sleeping. He walked over to the bed and crawled in beside him, eager to forget the onset of the coldest, darkest part of the year he knew they ultimately couldn't avoid. He wrapped his arms tight around him and rested his face against his neck. Within moments, he felt him stir.

"You're nice and warm," the Pol mumbled.

"I just got out of a very-needed hot shower. The weather is changing out there."

"I bet."

The two fell into silence for a moment. With both of them there, hidden away underneath the sheets and taking in each other's warmth, they could just lay there and pretend they were somewhere less chilly. For a short time, the outside world did not exist. But alas, Feliks could not forget one thing that had been bothering him for some time, and so he decided to finally voice his concern.

"Toris, we like, never talk anymore…"

This really pulled at the Lithuanian's heartstrings. He had been thinking this all day, but somehow, hearing it come from his partner made him suddenly feel quite sad.

"I know," he admitted, and kissed Feliks once on his neck. "I need to be making more of an effort to communicate with you."

"And I need to do the same…"

"So, um… how's the job search coming?" That seemed like a good place to start a bit of conversation.

"Totally crappy. No one is hiring right now."

"That's okay. Just keep searching, something is bound to come up some time."

"Yeah, I guess." He paused, and then said, "I'm just worried what this could like, do to our relationship, you know?"

"Don't be," Toris said. He squeezed him tightly to reassure him. "You'll find something soon, and we'll be right back on the right track. And you know what? Six months from tomorrow will be our wedding day. We'll be living happily together as a married couple, and maybe we'll even be able to make a down payment on a nice house somewhere. Something small, but a place to call home. Everything will turn out just fine."

"I hope you're right," Feliks replied. He reached around for a moment and found one of his lover's hands, and then took in gently in his own. "I really love you, Toris."

"I love you too, Feliks."


	3. Barren in February

It was the coldest, darkest part of the year, and a young couple huddled together on their couch in their apartment. They had felt rather distant from each other in recent weeks, but now they were (physically) as close as could be. Yes, they had heat, but just looking out the window at the outdoors made them want to find all the blankets they owned and cover up with them. This was a miserable month for them; at first it was nice to see the snow, but after two months of the stuff, everything had begun to look more bleak than beautiful. Neither wanted to be reminded that there was still a ways to go before it would warm up again.

To add to the crappiness of the situation—for there really was no better word for it in their minds—the light bulb above them would not stop blinking.

"We totally need to replace that," the Pol said, staring up at it as it continually flickered.

"Maybe you can get us one for my birthday next week," his Lithuanian fiancé replied. He was only half joking.

"Come on, Toris, you know I wouldn't just get you something lame like a light bulb for your birthday."

"Why not? I'd prefer to get something we need if you're going to get me anything."

"Come on, we can't even like, afford to go out and just get one?"

"Not if we're going to buy milk this week."

Silence.

That… was rather blunt. It even took Feliks back a bit. Toris was never that blunt about anything. Not to mention, he hadn't realized the situation was really that bad. He knew money was tight. However, he had left it up to Toris to handle the budget since the Lithuanian was much better with numbers, and had just gone on assuming that everything was basically okay.

Toris began slowly with what he said next.

"Feliks… I've put off asking about this for as long as I could, but I really need to know. When are you going to find a new job?"

Despite the effort to be civil, this nearly set Feliks off.

"I told you, no one is hiring right now," he insisted.

"Yes, but Feliks… you stopped looking a month ago. Maybe something has opened up since then."

"Doubt it," the Pol scoffed.

"Feliks, I need you to at least try. Please promise me you'll start searching again."

"Could you like, stop saying my name like that? You're making me feel guilty." He turned away from him and avoided eye contact. This was not the conversation he really wanted to be having right now.

"I'm not trying to make you feel guilty. I just need your help," Toris pleaded. Tears began to spring up in his eyes, and his voice nearly cracked. Feliks could hear that, and felt even guiltier because of it. "I'm working overtime just to keep us in this apartment right now. I want us to be a couple, with our own place, but I can't do it alone. Couples are supposed to support each other, not mooch off each other."

"Alright, alright, I get it. Can we stop talking about this now?" Feliks finally said, wanting to just end the whole conversation. When he turned back to face his fiancé, he instantly regret saying it the way he did. He looked just in time to see a tear roll down the Lithuanian's cheek.

That hurt. Irritated as he was, he still loved Toris very much. Yes, he had seen him cry before, but never had it been his doing. He wanted to say something, but couldn't find the right words. He knew a simple 'sorry' wasn't going to cut it now.

"Fine. I've said all I need to say anyway. I'm going to bed now."

With that, he stood up and walked to their bedroom without another word. Feliks chose not to follow him right away, for fear of saying or doing anything else that might make their situation worse. For a while he just sat there, thinking about what he could do to make things easier on Toris.

He did eventually come to a conclusion. He didn't like it, but something had to be done. It would be best in the long run.

He grabbed his duffel bag out of their tiny closet, and tiptoed into the bedroom. Toris was already fast asleep. Making as little noise as possible, he gathered up all his belongings and threw them in the bag, leaving only one particular object behind. The very last thing he did was slide his engagement ring off his finger, and leave it on the nightstand on Toris's side of the bed. And then he left.

He stepped outside into the bitter night air, and shivered immediately. A gust of wind blew his blonde hair in all directions, and nipped at his extremities. His nose and ears froze on the spot. There were few cars on the street at this hour, though there was still plenty of snow.

On the off chance that Toris would wake up and look out the window, he decided to stand in the shadows, away from the nearest street lamp. He didn't want to be stopped from doing this. Pulling out his cell phone, he dialed his parents' number. He was always welcome in his old home, and he knew they'd be there to pick him up in no time.

Toris awoke sometime in the early morning hours. The sun had yet to rise, though the sky had started turning blue-gray, and the room was light enough to see in. He felt chilly, and assumed that he forgot to turn up the heat the night before or something. Then, he discovered the absence of another body next to him. The sheets weren't even warm on Feliks's side. _Why didn't he come to bed?_

He sat up and looked around. The room instantly felt empty to him. All of Feliks's stuff was gone, that much he noticed right away. But he refused to believe that he left him. Sure they had had some words, but it really hadn't been that bad… had it?

Then he noticed the ring.

He noticed the ring, and his whole world came crashing down on him. He didn't cry; he was in too much shock for that. All he could do was remove his own ring, set it on the nightstand beside its match, and lay back down wondering why. Just why.


	4. Regrowth in May

Toris hummed to himself as he packed up the last few boxes. The day was sunny and warm, the birds were singing, and all of nature seemed alive again after such a long winter. New grass was springing up, the flowers were blossoming, and the first golden-green leaves had finally sprung out of their buds. He felt happy, for the first time in weeks.

He was about to close up the final box when something caught his attention out the corner of his eye. That's right—he had forgotten to take down his calendar. He pulled the tack out of the wall and folded it closed. He didn't want to look at the date; he knew today was still circled. Today was supposed to be his wedding day, but he didn't want to let that bring him down. Not when he felt so at peace otherwise. Sighing, he threw it on the top of the other items in the box and closed the lid.

Just as he was admiring his hard work—he had packed up everything by himself—the doorbell rang. That seemed rather odd. He had no idea who it could be, so he went right away to see who it was. Perhaps it was a neighbor wishing him goodbye or something.

When he opened the door, he found himself faced with the very last person he expected to see.

"Hey Toris…" the Pol said, a weak smile on his face.

"H..hi." Toris was in complete shock, so that was all he could say. He simply stood there, staring, with one arm still outstretched and holding open the door.

"Can we talk?"

"Um..y-yeah, sure. Come on in." He stepped aside and let Feliks inside, and guided him to the sofa that was still sitting in its normal spot. "Sorry for the mess. Things are a bit all over the place right now."

"Are you like, moving out?" Feliks asked as he took a seat. Toris sat down beside him.

"Yeah, I've decided to move back in with my parents for a little while. Just to make life a little easier."

"Ah, I gotcha."

There was a brief pause when neither really knew what to say. They both stared off at various parts of the room for a few moments, until Toris finally spoke up.

"So… what are you doing here?"

Feliks stared down at his hands, which he had folded in his lap. He felt too ashamed to make eye contact.

"I just… I guess I just want you to know what happened. I know a sorry isn't going to make up for the pain I probably caused you, but I just want you to know why I left."

"…okay."

"I thought I was doing right by you. I felt like I was holding you back and I wanted to make your life easier, but I see now that I totally went about it the wrong way."

"Feliks," he breathed. "You should have just talked to me. Yes, I was upset, but that didn't mean I wanted you to leave. I never wanted that."

"I know, and I see that now. Truth is it hurt me to leave too. I just… I loved you. In fact I never stopped loving you. I was so stupid to have left you." The longer he talked, the more upset he became, and by the time he finished his last sentence, the tears had started flowing. Toris reached out, hesitating for just a moment, and then wiped the tears away.

"I am so glad you came and talked to me." He couldn't help but pull him into a hug. Though he was still upset with him for leaving without warning, at least he somewhat understood now. "I would have wondered for the rest of my life."

"I know, and that's why I had to tell you," Feliks mumbled into his shoulder, and hugged him back. "I really am sorry…"

"I know, I know…" He rubbed his back a few times before pulling away. "I don't know if you want to try again, but—"

"I thought you'd like, never offer," Feliks interrupted. "Of course I would."

"Okay, but here's the thing. I don't think we're ready to jump back into engagement just yet. I mean, the people who told us we were too young… they were probably right. But, maybe if we start from the beginning and take things a little slower, it could work out for us."

"That sounds good."

Toris was then struck with a thought. If they were going to start again, he knew exactly what to say next.

"Hi, I'm Toris," he said, outstretching his hand towards the Pol. Said Pol laughed, wiping back the last of the tears, and shook the Lithuanian's hand.

"I'm Feliks," he replied.

So maybe they didn't have to go back quite that far, but it seemed like a good way to start up their relationship again. And soon after, Toris had another thought. He stood up rather suddenly, walked over to one of the nearby boxes, and pulled out a much smaller box. He brought it back over to the couch and sat down.

"Um… like I said, I don't think we should to go right back into being engaged, but…" he opened the box, revealing their matching engagement rings, and took out the smaller one. "When you're ready to have this back, just let me know, okay?"

Feliks grinned. "Totally."

Toris leaned in and hugged him again. "I love you, Feliks."

"I love you too, Toris."


End file.
